According to the New York Daily News, the animal fell suddenly on 54th Street near 8th Avenue as it was heading to Central Park for its daily shift. The ASPCA is currently investigating the tragic death, as initial findings were inconclusive.

The plight of carriage horses is a cause close to Michele's heart. In January, she joined PETA in a new campaign to boycott the city's popular horse-drawn carriages, which she described as dangerous.

"Imagine for a moment that you're forced to do hard physical labor all day, seven days a week – whether it's sweltering hot or freezing cold outside," the native New Yorker said in a PSA. "At the end of the day, instead of relaxing on [an] easy chair or sleeping in a comfortable bed, you are locked in a tiny closet all night long."

Later on Monday, the singer admitted she was having a hard time dealing with the heartbreaking tragedy.

"Trying to move past the sad news from this morning," she wrote on Twitter. "Getting ready now to do some press for #Glee ... Super busy day today!"